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English 124-Advanced Composition: Critical Reasoning & Writing
Instructor: Sydney Brown
Project points: Workshop 25 / Outline Presentation 25/ Essay 200 / Reflection 20
“I have said that our research and experience to date would make it appear
that breakdowns in communication, and the evaluative tendency which is the major
barrier to communication, can be avoided. The solution is provided by creating a
situation in which each of the different parties come to understand the other
from the other’s point of view.”
—Carl R. Rogers
ASSIGNMENT FOR ESSAY 3:
THE ROGERIAN ARGUMENT

DUE MONDAY, MAY 9: Presentation of Informal Outline of Rogerian Argument (25 points for presentation)

DUE MONDAY, MAY 16: THREE copies of ONE draft for Peer Workshop (25 points): You must have three copies
of a well-developed draft—at least six pages (though it is recommended that your essay be completed to gain the
most from this workshop). Drafts will be checked at the beginning of class and any draft under six FULL pages will
lose points or not be permitted in workshop (zero points). If you show up without copies, you will not be able to
participate.

DUE WEDNESDAY, MAY 18 AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS: Turn in Essay #3 in the following order—first to
last: (1) Final, polished essay (minimum of eight pages + Works Cited Page with a minimum of eight sources); (2)
Reflection (3) Workshopped Draft (papers without significant drafts will not be accepted).
WHERE TO START: CHOOSE AN ISSUE AND FORM A QUESTION AT ISSUE
We have spent some time reading and discussing issues that surround Hurricane Katrina. Begin by choosing an issue that
interests you from the list below*:
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loss of coastal marshlands/wetlands
urban planning
Global Warming/Climate Change
hurricane preparedness and/or evacuation process
crisis management
use of Superdome
the role of art with regards to human tragedy and/or funding for the arts
government response (federal, state, and/or local)
United States Army Corps of Engineers design and construction policies—the levees
funding for improvement of levees (infrastructure)
theory that government intentionally broke the levees
media reporting / bias (ratings, politics, etc.)
race or poverty as factor in slow response
Environmental Racism
assistance / treatment of victims / displaced U.S. citizens called “refugees”
cleanup and rebuilding
international response
non-government, private and/or celebrity action (West, Pitt, Penn, Clooney, Jolie, Travolta, Winfrey, etc.)
looting and violence
treatment of nonhuman victims (pets, livestock)
*If you want to write on an issue that does not appear on this list, just run it by me first.
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Once you have selected your issue and formed your question at issue, you should research it and develop an outline, which
you will present for discussion in class. Remember, you may use any of the assigned texts in your essay: Stanley Fish’s
“When Identity Politics is Rational,” Nova’s The Storm that Drowned a City, Spike Lee’s When the Levees Broke, Patricia
Smith’s Blood Dazzler.
After your academic inquiry (AKA research), you should select at least two specific sides of the issue and form a working
thesis/claim (where you stand with regards to this issue—one of the two sides), and begin to construct an argument using
the Rogerian strategy outlined below. While most of you have written research and argumentative papers in the past, this
paper is quite different. It asks you to master the academic and collegial TONE required to argue successfully in the
Rogerian style. If you are still having trouble grasping this style of argument, study your notes from the lecture/discussion
and/or reread Carl R. Roger’s assigned essay, “Communication: Its Blocking and Facilitation” (457-462). In addition, my
PowerPoint on the Rogerian Strategy is on my website.
The final paper should be 8-10 pages long, in MLA Format and Style, and must employ a minimum of eight sources—four
for each side of the issue. Your may, if you like, use visuals (pictures, charts, graphs, editorial cartoons); however, they
are in addition to the eight required sources and should be addressed in the paper, not just “dropped in.” (Avoid using
visual aids to increase page count.)
THE ROGERIAN STYLE PAPER:
A Typical Strategy in Chronological Order
1. Engage your readers with an introduction to the subject that will not alienate either side—think “safe.” Work to
gain the interests from parties on BOTH sides of the issue. Think of the basic human values the sides might share.
(For example, if my issue is that race was not a factor in the response to Hurricane Katrina, I might use the fact that
Hurricane Katrina was a tragedy and the government’s response was poor, as both sides can probably agree on
that.)
2. Offer background information/history on the issue. (e.g., Hurricane Katrina and government response)
3. Provide an objectively phrased statement that defines the issue for both sides. (e.g., While some feel as though
race was not a factor in the government’s poor response to Hurricane Katrina, others feel as though it was.) The
question at issue should be made clear—implicitly or explicitly (e.g., Was race a factor in the government’s
response to Katrina?”)
4. Present your opponent’s position (e.g., Some believe race was a factor in the government’s poor response to
Hurricane Katrina…), and concede/grant some validity in it. For instance, you might recognize the circumstances in
which the position would indeed be acceptable. You should demonstrate that you understand their position and
their reasons for holding it by showing that you have researched it and placed yourself in their position/s. You
should carefully avoid any suggestion that this position is not just or moral. As Rogers suggests, “the major barrier
to mutual interpersonal communication is our very natural tendency to judge, to evaluate, to approve or disapprove”
(458). You are not arguing this side, but rather presenting the arguments on this side to illustrate that you fully
understand them. Employ a minimum of four sources in this portion of your paper.
5. Point out ground you share with your opponent.
6. Show how the opposing position will be improved if your own position is accepted (e.g., While a national
dialogue with regards to race would be beneficial in the United States, race was not a major factor in the
government’s poor response to Katrina, and through understanding and working on the problems pointed out here,
we can perhaps avoid such tragedies in the future). This is where you persuade the audience to accept your
conclusion (thesis/claim). Be sure to remain consistent with the Rogerian style: nonconfrontational, collegial,
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friendly, and respectful. This is NOT your time to judge or “attack” the opponent, but rather your time to point out
why your position will BENEFIT ALL. Employ a minimum of four sources in this portion of your paper.
EVALUATIVE CRITERIA FOR THE ROGERIAN ARGUMENT
Use this as a CHECKLIST for your final paper.
Your Rogerian Argument will be evaluated by yourself, your classmates, and the instructor using the following criteria:
CONTENT:
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Does the author create an engaging introduction? Would individuals from different sides of this issue be
interested in reading the essay?
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Is there an objectively phrased statement that defines the issue?
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Is the question at issue clear? (Either explicitly or implicitly.)
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Has the author clearly and thoroughly presented his/her opponent’s position and common ground shared?
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Has the author contextualized—introduced and established authority—as well as integrated ideas and
information from a minimum of four sources (through paraphrase, quotation, and summary) to illustrate the
opponent’s position?
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Does the author show how the opposing position will be improved if his/her own position is accepted?
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Has the contextualized—introduced and established authority—as well as integrated ideas and information
from a minimum of four sources (through paraphrase, quotation, and summary) in support of his/her own
voice, analysis, and position?
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Does the author persuade the audience that his/her position will benefit all without attacking the opponent
or the opponent’s position?
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Has the author mastered the tone required for a successful Rogerian Argument? Is the argument treated as
a dialogue and partnership?
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Is diction (word choice) precise and varied?
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Is the paper written and concluded in an effective and persuasive manner? Does the author demonstrate
comprehension of the rhetorical strategies, the appeal to reason (logos) and to emotions (pathos).
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Does the author avoid logic fallacies and clearly establish his/her credibility with the audience (ethos) as
someone who is informed, fair, empathetic, collegial, and academic?
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Are paragraphs focused and ideas developed logically? Does the essay guide the reader from one idea to
the next? (Transitional phrases and topic sentences are key.)
FORM:
FORMAT:
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Minimum requirements: Is the essay 8-10 pages long, with a minimum of 8 outside sources?
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Is the essay relatively free of errors in spelling, punctuation, mechanics, and grammar?
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Is MLA parenthetical documentation used responsibly, correctly, and consistently? How well does the
author integrate/weave specific textual references, paraphrases, and quotes with her/his ideas?
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Is the essay in correct MLA format, written in correct MLA style—including the Works Cited page?
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Is there a concern for quality?
Plagiarism will result in an automatic zero for this assignment and possibly an F in the course and expulsion from the college.